Metal-working switch.



A; C. JOHNSON.

METAL WORKING SWITCH- APPLICATION FILED luLvzs. 191a.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915,

2 BHBET8BEEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR- w I N 9 ATTORNEYS A. C. JOHNSON.

METAL WORKING SWl-TCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY26| l9l3.

Patented Apr. 20,1915.

2 SHEETS-S HEET 2.

4%. i ay STATES PATENT OFFICE,-

AUSTIN C. JOHNSbN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BYIIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10 PRODUCTION METER COMPANY, A COQPORATION OF DELAWARE.

' 'nnrAL-wonxINo swrrcn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 26, 1918. Serial No. 781,293.

- To all whomit may concern: a

Be it known that I, AUSTIN C. J ormsox, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Ch1- cage, in the. county of'Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Metal Working fication.

My invention relates tn switches and particularly to switches for making and break- 1ng an electric circuit for operating automatic recording devices which record the period of operation of shopmachines upon any particular object. I The object of the invention is to provlde a switch of the above character that will be automatically put in operation by vibrations caused by the operation of the machine or tool upon any particular piece of work so that the recording device will record the period of the machlnes actual operation upon the work and will automatically break the circuit controlling the recording device immediately upon the completion of the operation.

Another object of the invention is to pro- I vide means whereby the circuit connecting the recording device with the source of energy will not be broken during the period of actual operation of the machine and thereby enable the device to record, on a suitable chart, the time consumed for each piece of work withaclear, unbroken line.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a device whereby the vibrations of a tool, especially a metal working tool,but

.my invention is not necessarily limited to nietal working tools-may be used to actuate a recording device, whereby each period that the tool is in actual operation will be recorded, and particularly to utilize such vibration of the tool or machine, caused by itsconnecting or similar operation, to close an electric circuit, and to. keep said circuit closed during each period of said vibrations, whereby a recording device shall be actuated to record each period when such tool or machine is in active operation. I

.The inventlon has as further ob ects the arrangement, construction and combination of parts and devices hereinafter more specifically described and claimed.

Switches, of which the following is a speci-' 2 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, of the lathe tool post, showing my improved switch in section. Fig. 3 shows an embodi-- ment of my invention in which the secondary circuit is eliminated; and Fig. 4 shows a detail view of a preferred form of recording unit to be used in. the installation shown in eferring to the drawing, 10 designates an ordinary metal working lathe ;which is Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

provided with the usual head-stock 11 and tail-stock 12 which are provided with live and stationary center points 13 and 14, respectively, between which .the work is suspended.

. 15 designates a carriage adapted to be slid longitudinally on the lathe bed 16, by means of the feed screw 17, operatively connected to the cone pulley 18 by means of the train of gears 19, 20. Mounted on' the carriage 15 1s a tool supporting post '21 which in operation supports or is engaged; by the cutting tooli22.

'Whlle. I have described generally the above metal working lathe, it will be understood that the specific form of machine is not essential in connection'with my inven- While I preferably secure it to the tool post in connection with the type of lathe illustrated in the drawing, its application to that particular member is not essential to its successful operation, as' it may be secured to any other suitable part of the machine without impairing its eflicient operation. When the invention is-applied to the tool post, as shown in the drawing, the post 21 is preferably formed on its side with a boss 23, the face of which is formed with a cavity 24. The diaphragm 25 is placed over the cavity 24 and is held in place by the casing 26 which may be secured to the boss in any suitable manner, as for example, b screws 27 extending through threaded per orations in the flange 28.

Extending through an aperture in the casing, near the upper edge thereof, is an adjustable contact screw 29 which may be insulated from the casing in any suitable manner, for example by the insulation 30 in the aperture. Extending from the inner is pivoted a face of the asing 26 is a lug 31 to which ri arm 32. The arm 32 is preferably pivoted near its lower end to the lug 31 and is formed with a curvature so that the lower end of'the arm will bear directly against the center of the diaphragm 25.

The upper end of the arm is preferably the longer and is bent outward so that the flat portion 33. will. stand directly in front of the contact screw 29. Theweight of the upper end of the arm, it being the longer and bent outward,- holds the lower end against the diaphragm 25 at all times. The contact screw 29 is adjusted to a position so that when the diaphragm is not vibrating the upper end of the arm will normally stand a slight distance away from the end of-the screw and so that when the diaphragm vibrates, as hereinafter described, the upper end of the arm will be brought into a-series of rapid contacts with the end of the screw. s

Connecting the contact screw 29 with a' generator 34, or any other suitable source nect a recording device 40 with the generav tor.

The recording device in this application is described and claimed my copending application Serial No. 719,937, filed September 12, 1912, and will not be described in this connection, it being understood that upon closing the circuit connecting it with the generator its mechanism is energized and operates the arm 41 so as to record, on

a suitable chart, the time spent on each piece W of Work passing through the machine. The circuit connecting the recording device is preferably closed by means of an armature which is connected to wire 38 and pivoted to a suitable support 43 on the base 44 so that upon energizing the relay 36, the armature is drawn over against the screw 45 and directs the current through the U-shaped member 46 and the wire38 to the recording devices. To facilitate the adjustment of the armature I preferably provide a screw 47 which extends through insulator 48 in an aperture in-the U-shapedmember 46.

after the circuit in whic The operation of the device maybe briefly described as follows Immediately upon the cutting tool 22 starting to operate upon any object suspended between the'center posts 13 and 14, or otherwise secured to the machine, the diaphragm 25 is thereby caused to vibrate. The vibrations ofthe diaphragm operate the arm 32 so as to bring it into a series of rapid contacts with the contact screw 29, which in turn rapidly makes and breaks the current between the switch and the generator 34, the wires 37 being connected'to' the tool post 21. When the above circuit is closed the relay 36 'nergized and draws the armature 42 over against the contact'45- and closes the circuit connecting the recording device with the generator.

The relay 36, being of the type which retains its energy for a slight period of time it is connected has been broken, will hold the armature 42 againstthe contact 45 during-the slight intervals that the arm 32 is out of contact with the contact screw 29 during said rapid vi brations and thereby enable the recording device to record on its chart with a clear,

" unbroken line the exact time during which the tool is actually doing any work.

While I have described my. invention in its preferred embodiment, it will be understood that modifications might be made without departure from the spirit of the in vention. Therefore, I do not wish to limit myself to the particular form described except so far as limited by the claims herein.

While, for purposes of illustrating a certain specific complete installation of my invention in an apparatus involving what may be called an energizing circuit and a recording circuit, nevertheless, it will be notedthat, broadly, .my invention consists in the com 'bination with an electrical circuit, of a 'retarding relay interposed therein,-'- a switch in said circuit combined with a machine or tool in such a manner that the vibrations of said machine or tool, caused by its effective operation, will cause said relay to be continuously energized during each period .of such vibrations whereby the armature of said relay is held in a certain position for any useful purpose, and although, in the specific embodiment shown a'nd-describ. d, the movement of the armature of said relay is utilized to open and close the circuit directly connected to the recording machine, it is obvious that the recording apparatus might be connected directly to the armature of a retarding relay andbe within the broad disclosure of my invention, as above defined.

which the actuation of the recording mechanism may be either by closing a secondary ably .plation of my invention that the circuit or by direct mechanical connection between the armature of the relayand the recording device. I

It should be understood that the machine of my copending application is preferably, for commercial convenience, designed according to a standard construction adaptable for use with all'types of shopmachines and that the recording and accumulating units thereof, indicated at 40 ings f the present application,

ade of a standard type. Inasmuch, therefore, as for use with numerous shop machines it is undesirable that the solenoids of the unit 40 should be of the retarding type, preferably, therefore, these units should be interposed in a secondary circuit as shown, but it-is quite within the contemsecondary circuit be eliminated and that the unit 40 be provided with solenoids or relays of the retarding type and be interposed directly n the primary circuit, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.. Thus, in Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown my invention broadly with the secondary circuit eliminated. In this installation the preferred form of recording unit may be the same as that shown in my second 00- pending application and is identical with the unit indicated in Fig. 1, except that the solenoids are of the retarding type; that is, they are constructed in a manner well known in the art; whereby when energized they all retain their energy an appreciable time after the energizing circuit has been broken. Fig. 4 shows unit in detail as is'necessary to understand 1ts operation to actuate the recording arm,

which is rigidly secured to the armature 41.

erever', in the specification or claims,

I refer to the eflicient operation of the tool or machine,

I mean its actual operation which it is in Wherever in the claims I refer to vibration I mean the above described bodily-vibration of a tool,machine or portion thereof and the corresponding vibration produced thereby in the diaphragm as distinguished rom any traveling movement capable of transmission by intermediate and differently movingparts which literally come within vibration. I claim: 1. A device of the the broad meaning of the term character described,

comprising a diaphragm so connected witha shop machine as to be vibrated by the vibration of the shop machine caused by the operation thereof, and means engaging said diaphragm and actuated by the vibrations thereof to make and break an electric hi1,

cuit.

2. An automatically operated switch, comprising'a' diaphragm directly connected with a shop in the draw are preferthe shop erations of said lathe,

only so much of said the vibration of the shop machine caused by the operation thereof, and a pivoted arm engaging said diaphragm and actuated thereby to produce a rapid make and break of an electric circuit.

3.. 'In an'automatically operated switch of the character described, the combination with a shop machine and an" electric circuit, of a diaphragm interposed in said circuit and in such operative relation-to said machine as to be actuated'by the vibration of machine caused by the operation thereof, and a pivoted arm operated by said diaphragm when so vibrated, to open and close said circuit.

4. The combination with a recording circuit and a shop machine circuit, of a shop machine, a diaphragm in such operative relation with the 'shop machine as to be vi-' brated by the vibration of the sho machine causedv by the operation thereof so as to rapidly make and break said shop machine circuit, and means whereby said recording circuit will be continuously closed durin the vibration of said diaphragm.

5. 11 a device of the character described, the combination with a metalworking lathe and an electric circuit, of a diaphragm in such operative felation to said lathe as to machine so as to be actuated by be vibrated by the vibration of a portion of I said lathe caused by the, metal wor ing opand means operated by the vibration of said diaphragm to produce a rapid-make and break of said circuit.

6. The combination with-a shop machine of a source of electrical supply, a recording device, controlling means for said recording device in circuit with said supply, and means I actuated by the 'vibration of said shop machine caused by the operation thereof for closing said circuit.

7. Ifhe combination with a shop machine of a source of electrical supply,fa recording device, controlling means in circuit with said supply for controlling said recording device, and vibrating means in operative relation with said shopmachine so as to be vibrated by the vibration of a part of said shop machine caused by the operation there causing a continuous of for automatically closure of said circuit riod of vibration.

8. The combination with a shop machine during each such peof a recording device, a source of electrical supply, actuating means for said recording device in circuit with said source of electrical supply, controlling means for making and breaking said circuit, and means in operative relation to said shop machine for making and breaking an electrical circuit between said controlling means and said source of supply, comprising a diaphragm in opwith "said machine so as to vibrated by the vibration of erative relation be continuously of, and means in engagement with said dia-.

phragmjadapted to be operated by the vibrations thereof to make and break the said tion of the tool-holding member when the last named circuit.

9. In an automatically 'operated' 'switch for opening and closing an electrical circuit, the combination with a metal working lathe provided with a' tool holding member, of a casing secured to said tool holding member and provided with a contact plug, an arm pivoted in the casing, a diaphragm interposed between the casing and the tool hold ing member adapted to be vibrated by the vibration. of the tool-holding'member when the tool is in operation, one end of said pivoted arm being adapted to engage the diaphragm-sothat the vibration of s aiddiaphragmwill bring the other end of said .arm into and out of contact with said contact plug.

10. In 'an automatically operated switch for opening and closing an electrical circuit, the combination with a metal working lathe provided with a tool holding member formed with a cavity, a diaphragm secured over said cavity so as to be vibrated by the vibratool is in operation, a-casing secured to said tool holding member and provided with a contact plug of said electrical circuit, and an arm pivoted to said casing provided at one of its ends with a bent portion engaging the centervof said diaphragm and the other end extending over the said plug so that the vibration of the diaphragm will cause it to move into and out. of contact with said contact plug. 7

11. The combination with a machine or tool, of an electric circuit, a retarding relay interposed in said circuit, an armature for said relay, and means interposed in said circuit whereby the vibrations caused by the efiicient operation of said tool or machine will causesaid relay to be continuously energiz'ed durlng each period of such vibrations,

12. The combination with an electric cir-.

cuit, of a retarding relayinterposed therein, an armature ther e for, a recording device arranged to'be actuated by the movement of said armature, a tool or machine, and means interposed in said circuit whereby the vi- .brations caused by the efficient operation of said tool or machine will cause said circuit to be sufiiciently clos d to continuously energize said relay during each period of saideflicient operation, whereby said armature is moved toward said relay, thereby causing said recording device-to be moved. to and held in a certain position during each such period.-

'13. The? combination with an electric circuit, of-a retarding relay interposed therein, an armature therefor, a recording device ,adapted to be actuated by the movement of fsaid armature, a machine'or tool, a switch interposed in said circuit, and a diaphragm in operative engagement with said machine or tool and with said switchjwhereby the vibrations of said machine or tool produced by the efficient operation thereof will cause said diaphragm to actuate said switch to so ,2

having a part which is vibratedby productive operation of said machine, a diaphragm mounted on said machine so as to be vi-' brated by the vibration of said part, and means engaging said diaphragm, adapted to open and close an electric circuit.

AUSTIN O. JOHNSON.

Witnessesz P. A. COONEY, H. M. GILLESPIE. 

